Preparation of reptile skins for use as leather



Aug. 14, 1934. 1.. FRIEDHEIM 1,969,743 FREPARATION OF REPTILE SKINS FOR USE AS LEATHER Filed April 12. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 14, 1934. L. FRIEDHEIM 1,969,743

PREPARATION OF REPTILE SKINS FOR usE AS LEATHER Filed April 12. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill mum/Tam Louis E/eafisim Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PREPARATION OF REPTILE SKINS FOR USE AS LEATHER ware Application April 12, 1932, Serial No. 604,793

16 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of preparing reptile skins in the form of leather of an ornamental character for use in the arts, and particularly for use in the manufacture of shoes,

slippers, hand-bags, and other similar articles.

Of the many type of reptiles whose skins are employed for leather, much use is and has been made of the skins of lizards of the chameleon and iguana type and similarly natured skins, as well as various reptile skins of a similar type found in various tropical and semi-tropical parts of the world. In nature, many of these reptiles, especially those ofthe chameleon type, have skins with a multiplicity of excrescences or protuberances set closely together and covering the entire surface of the animal; such excrescences or protuberances varying in size from pin points on parts of the back or dorsal portion, and upon the upper surfaces and extremities of the legs; the groin and neck portions, to a size approximately an eighth of an inch in both dimensions, or greater, over the skin surface at the ventral portion of the body. In general these excrescences or protuberances are approximately square although diiferent parts of the skin of the same animal may present other shapes. In all instances, these excrescences or protuberances are relatively thick as compared with other portions of the integument lying between and bounding the'same; such defining or dividing portions of the skin or integument being relatively thin and much more flexible than the protuberances or excrescences.

In carrying out my improved method of preparing these reptile skins, it is desirable to bleach .them and then effect the tanning operation in as light a color as possible, or to bleach them subsequently to tanning, with a view of utilizing the lighter shade or-tone as a part of the contrasting color or tone in the finished state in accordance with my improved method. Additionally, the light color of the tanned skins permits a preliminary coloring of the whole skin in any shade for the desired contrast with finished color applied to the surface of the excrescences or protuberances. After the tanning operation is completed and the skin has been put through certain other treatments necessary or desirable to'transform such skins into marketable leather available for various uses in the arts, it is desirable to finish color the protuberances or excrescences of these skins with an even and/or solid tone or shade;

' which may be a relatively dark color; black,

brown, blue, or any other color, and in many instances a-lighter color may be employed for the desired contrast of the finished product when the tanned skins are dyed before the finish color is applied. The main object of my invention is to efiect a coloring of the surface of the excrescences or protuberances, while leaving the portions of the integument which define or divide such excrescences or protuberances substantially the original shade or color of the initially tanned skin, which may be of a light or white shade; made purposely so in the operation of transforming the raw skin into marketable leather or, in the case of skins whose excrescences or protuberances are finished in a light color or shade, the'portions of the integument which define or divide the excrescences or protuberances will retain the color imparted to them in the preliminary coloring or dyeing operation.

In carrying out my invention, the skins are first tanned in any usual manner and so as to present a light shade, or a substantially white condition except insofar as the naturally darker portions of the excrescences or protuberances will appear in such tanned skin as of a gray or dirty white, shade or color; oyster gray, for instance. After tanning the skins are staked in the usual manner common to the manufacture of leather; the skins may then be ironed and, if necessary they may be buffed on'the flesh side to level them and produce an even or substantially even thickness. The skins are then plated by being subjected to very heavy pressure between steam-heated platens in a suitable press. After they have been plated, they are sprayed with color to cover the excrescences or protuberances which, due to the nature of the plating operation, have been flattened and present, substantially, the appearance of scales, and after the skins have dried following the spraying operation they are glazed in the well known manner common in the art. After the skins have been glazed, they are preferably perched, for a reason that will hereinafter appear.

In applying the color, no matter what its tone or shade may be, the skins are sprayed progressively from one end-the head or neck portion- 0 towards the tail portion, and the direction of the spray should be in line with the longitudinal axis of the skin and along lines parallel thereto; the sprayed color being applied at such an angle to the surface of the skin that only the surface of the flattened excrescences or protuberances are colored by such sprayed-color; leaving the portions of the integument constituting the dividing or defining lines of such flattened excrescences or protuberances uncolored by such sprayed color. so

skin presents a relatively or substantially solid, unbroken, color covering while, when viewed in the opposite direction, and at various angles, the dividing or defining lines of the integument present a shaded and broken color condition; producing a pleasing and highly valuable appearance when employed in the manufacture of shoes, slippers, hand-bags, and/or the like. After the skins have been colored by spraying or otherwise in the manner indicated; that is to say, having the surface of the excrescences or protuberances colored in a single shade or tone, they are dried, and then they are glazed in the usual manner common to the manufacture of glazed kid.

In the accompanying drawings, some of which are diagrammatic, I have illustrated one form of skin which may be treated in accordance with my invention, and one form of means for carrying out the surface-coloring or spraying of the excrescences or protuberances covering such skin. In these drawings:

Figure 1 represents, on a reduced scale, the skin of a reptile of the type to which my improved method of treatment or preparation has been applied.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged portion of a part of a skin such as shown in Fig. 1; showing the appearance of the protuberances or excrescences after they have been flattened in the plating step, and showing also one manner of coloring or spraying these flattened scales, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the relative position of successive flattened protuberances or excrescences, and one manner of applying the surfacing color; a spray nozzle being employed.

Substantially the complete skin, or so much of the same as is available for transformation into leather, is indicated at A, in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 2 I have shown, for instance, a small patch of the central portion of the skin illustrated in Fig. 1, which is part of the ventral area of the animal; showing more clearly the protuberances or excrescences which have been flattened to produce the scales (1, which slightly overlie each other at the edgesof one or more sides.

To produce the desired coloring effect; which is intended to cover the surface of the scales produced by flattening the excrescences or pro tuberances of the skin, an air brush or spraying nozzle such as indicated at 5 may be used to spray coloring matter onto said scales"; such air brush being arranged at a certain angle so that the coloring matter will be applied to the surfaces of the excrescences or protuberances only and in a plane almost parallel with the plane at which the skin is disposed so that such coloring matter will pass overthose portions of the integument which define or divide the same; the slightly raised and substantially overlying portions of such flattened excrescences or protuberances protecting the defining lines or spaces of the integument.

By preference the skins are placed upon a suitable support, and this may be, if desired, the inclined table indicated at 6, Fig. 3. Any other form of support permitting application of the color upon the flattened excrescences or protuberances at the necessary angle to produce the effect desired, may be employed. The color is applied progressively from one end of the skin to the other in line with and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the same; starting at the head or neck end, indicated at A, Fig. 1, and continuing until the entire surface of the flattened exthat when viewed in one direction the finished crescences or protuberances are covered by or with the desired color. I may employ any suitable form of enamel, lacquer, or other form of coloring material preferably, however, one that is waterproof or water resistant so as to avoid running when the skins are finished. It will be understood that many forms of coloring material not necessarily waterproof when applied, will become so after a short lapse of time.

After the coloring material applied to the surface of the excrescences or protuberances of the skin has dried, the skins are glazed in the manner common to the art of glazing kid. The effect of this glazing is to impart a high polish to the flattened horny excrescences or protuberances which have been colored, and such protuberances or excrescences stand out separately and distinctly by reason of the contrasting color or shade of those portions of the integument which divide or define the contours of the same and which have been uncolored by the color spray applied to the surface of such protuberances or excrescences. This effect is greatly heightened by the perching operation applied to the skins after the glazing operation; such perching. being in the nature of a light staking which somewhat stretches the skin and effects an accentuation of the lines of the integument demarking the scales represented by the flattened excrescences or protuberances.

In lieu of spraying the coloring matter upon the flattened excrescences or. protuberances of the skin, the color may be swabbed on, spread with a brush, or applied in any other suitable manner, so long as it is applied in a way that will avoid the coloring of the thinner portions of the skinor integument which separate and/ or define such flattened excrescences or protuberances.

While I have referred to the application of a solid color upon the flattened excrescences or protuberances, it will be understood that various forms of color schemes may be applied thereto by the spraying or other color-applying operation; variegated or spotted effects may be produced, or otherwise, as may be desired; all of which is within the scope of my invention. When skins are treated which have been dyed in solid colors following the tanning operation, a lighter color may be applied to the flat-' tened excrescences or protuberances for contrast with the color of the thinner integument defining and/or separating such flattened excrescences or protuberances, and I may employ metallic colors; the various so-called metallic bronzes, to produce gold, silver, aluminum, and/or other metallic effects, as the covering coating sprayed or otherwise applied to the flattened excrescences or protuberances of the skins. In applying such metallic colors, the spraying or other mode of application will be carried out in such manner as to avoid application to the thinner integument defining and/or demarking the flattened excrescences or protuberances.

While I have illustrated in Fig. 3, a nozzle disposed at 'a certain angle with respect to the plane of the skin, it will be understood that such showing is entirely diagrammatic and that the angle of application is such that while the flattened excrescences or protuberances will be'properly covered by the applied coloring and/ or coating material applied by such nozzle, such coloring and/or coating material will not contact with the thinner portions of the integument separating and/or defining the flattened excrescences or protuberances. In practice the angle of application must be quite fiat-almost in the plane of the surface being coated and/or colored.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the method or process of treating these reptile skins in accordance with my invention, and the appended claims are intended to cover the method or process set forth herein and such modifications as properly come within the scope or purview of the same.

It willalso be understood that the perching operation may follow and/or precede a glazing operation, and that when such perching operation following a glazing operation, a second glazing may follow such perching" operation.

I claim:

1. The method of preparing reptile skins for use as leather which comprises tanning the skins; plating theskins to flatten horny excrescences or protuberances thereof to form scales"; coating said scales; glazing the skins; and thereafter imparting a stretch to the skins to separate the scales and bring to view portions free from the coating applied to said scales.

2. The method of preparing reptile skins for use as leather which comprises tanning the skins; plating the skins to flatten horny excrescences or protuberances thereof to form scales"; applying coloring matter to said scales; glazing the skins; and thereafter imparting. a stretch to the skins to separate the scales and bring to view uncolored portions of the skin bounding and defining the scales.

8. The method of -preparing reptile skins for use as leather which comprises tanning the skins by a treatment producing a light color; plating said skins whereby horny excrescences or protuberances thereof are caused to lie substantially flat against the remainder of the skin; applying a coating of coloring matter to the flattened excrescences or protuberances; drying such coloring matter; and thereafter glazing said colored surface.

4. The method of preparing lizard skins having excrescences or protuberances upon the surface of the same comprising tanning the skins; flattening such excrescences or protuberances to form scales; coating such scales; glazing the skins; and thereafter imparting a stretch to the skins to separate the scales and bring to view portions of the skins free from the coating applied to said scales.

5. The method of preparing lizard skins having excrescences or protuberances upon the surface of the same comprising tanning the skins; flattening such excrescences or protuberances to form "scales; applying coloring matter to said scales; glazing the skins; and thereafter imparting a stretch to the skins to separate the scales and bring to view uncolored portions of the skin bounding and defining the scales.

6. The method of preparing lizard skins having excrescences or protuberances upon the surface of the same comprising tanning the skins; flattening the excrescences or protuberances to form scales; the tanning treatment being such as to produce a skin light in color; applying a coating of coloring matter darker than the initially tanned skin to said scales, drying such coloring matter; and thereafter glazing saidcolored surface.

7. In the method of preparing reptile skins as set forth in claim 3, the step of imparting slight stretch to the skins following the glazing step.

8. In the method of preparing lizard skins as set forth in claim 6, the step of imparting slight stretch to the skins following the glazing step.

9. In the method of preparing reptile skins as set forth in claim 1, the steps of dyeing the skins following the tanning operation and surface coating the scales with coloring material differing from and contrasting with the color imparted by the dyeing operation.

10. In the method of preparing lizard skins as set forth in claim 5, the steps of dyeing the skins following the tanning operation and surface coating the scales" with coloring material differing from and contrasting with the color imparted by the dyeing operation.

11. The method of finishing reptile skins which comprises flattening the skin to produce scales; coating the scales only of a completely tanned skin with coloring matter; and thereafter partially separating said scales from each other.

12. The method of finishing lizard skins having excrescences or protuberances which comprises flattening the excrescences or protuberances; coating the excrescences or protuberances only of a completely tanned skin with coloring matter; and thereafter partially separating said excrescences or protuberances from each other.

13. In the method of preparing reptile skins as set forth in claim 1, the step of coating the scales with a metallic color.

14. In the method of preparing lizard skins as set forth in claim 6, the step of coating the scales with a metallic color.

15. A reptile skin comprising visible integument defining scales lying in a plane substantially parallel with the skin and having an area greater than the protuberances from which such scales are developed.

16. A reptile skin defining scales lying in a plane substantially parallel with the skin and having an area greater than the protuberances from which such scales are developed; the distances between the scale centers being greater than their condition prior to treatment.

LOUIS FRIEDHEIM. 

